


Last Words

by keykiyoshi7443



Series: 2017 In-Class Works [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Jason Todd is Dead, Jason Todd is Robin, Light Angst, M/M, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, light cursing, prostitute Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9727526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keykiyoshi7443/pseuds/keykiyoshi7443
Summary: The JayDick last words soulmate au no one wanted, featuring prostitute Jason for no reason other than the fact that that's my personal headcanon for reason.





	

**Author's Note:**

> valentines day fic just cuz

As one of Bruce Wayne’s wards, Dick had gotten into the habit of hiding his soul mark. As Batman’s (former) partner, he made sure it was well covered by both make up and his suit. It wasn’t exactly the most abnormal thing for him to cover up his mark. Most people nowadays preferred to live in the moment and forget about the last words your soulmate will say to you. Dick just didn’t want the attention. It was considered impolite amongst Gotham’s elite to show your soul mark.

(There were of course, special circumstances where it was socially acceptable to show your words. There was a rather odd phenomenon where your words turn a deep blood red when the words are spoken by the right person. It was seen as a sign of mourning to display red words.)

When he was young and in the circus, he’d had leather arm braces that covered the somewhat messy scrawl that wrapped delicately around his wrist. He was pretty used to covering it up. Jason on the other hand, grew up on the streets. There it was kill or be killed and you gotta live fast because the chance they’ll live to be 12 is slim. The street rats never cared for appearances and soulmates were both a luxury and a weakness. They didn’t matter, so the words were just a way to be identified. They usually associated red words with dangerous people who have nothing to lose. It ups the street cred.

Jason’s words were still black, but they were placed in a very interesting place. The placement of the handwritten words were always very symbolic – Dick’s being around his wrist signified his soulmate could be a burden, always holding him back like shackles, but he’d also be with him always even when forgotten – and Jason’s were around his neck in a ring. This was pretty self-explanatory. He’d always be owned and never his own man; always be less. That fact irked Jason to no end, and now that he was adopted by Gotham’s prince, he was doing anything in his power to prove he was his own person and no one could change or control him.

Back when he’d been on the streets he’d been known as “slave boy” because of his collar of words. Jason hated it with a passion and he got very angry when the rich kids at Gotham Academy made fun of him for it. Of course they had no idea how close to home they really hit when they called him “slave boy” and Dick had only learned about it after the incident happened. You see, Jason lived in Crime Alley, and as a skinny pre-teen, he got a lot of attention from the creeps. He had been a prostitute so he could make ends meet.

He’d been known based off his soul mark.

Jason basically had 2 modes (now 3 considering his position as Robin), which are basically angry street rat and resigned (read: cynical) yet seductive prostitute. Despite Jason’s intense nature, he did know how to read people. As both a street rat – from Crime Alley no less – and a former prostitute; he had to know which way to act around which people and who he would be able to hustle.

At first Jason had gotten into a lot of fights when he’d first started going to the Academy. The rich kids hadn’t liked it when a circus kid from another country had ‘invaded’ their ‘safe place’. Having the scum of Gotham grace their hallways was even worse. Bruce really hadn’t been happy when Jason had taken down a student, who had 3 different kinds of black belts, in under 5 minutes. And that was before he’d even started training to be Robin.

Physically fighting was pretty frowned on at Gotham Academy, but that didn’t stop anyone from verbally attacking Jason. Dick had finally seen just how bad it could be when you didn’t cover up black words (and how bad Jason’s past really was) when the top dogs of the school decided to taunt Jason in front of the entire cafeteria. “Hey! Slave boy! Scum like you shouldn’t be here. You’re worth less than the dirt beneath my feet.” One of the jocks smirked.

“Yeah! Just because Bruce Wayne liked a slut like you doesn’t mean you deserve anything!” one of his lackeys agreed. Before the secondary comment it’d looked like Jason would have just walked away, but then this idiot opened his mouth and now Jason looked like he was barely resisting the urge to throw a punch. His back was still facing the jocks, but that didn’t discourage them at all. They weren’t about to stop with just implying that the only reason that Jason was there was because Bruce Wayne was paying the teen for sex. “Bet you like sucking cock, you little faggot!” the lackey continued.

That was the comment that really hit a lot of people. Just like that, everyone was suddenly paying attention to the 3 jocks and Jason. Some of the observers were glaring angrily at the jocks. Despite Gotham’s level of criminal activity, it was surprisingly accepting of the LGBT community. They simply had bigger problems that someone’s sexual preference. Well pedophiles were an issue, but still.

Others in the crowd were merely watching to see what Jason would do. It was a common misconception that Gotham’s upper class made, but they seemed to think that they were automatically better because they were accepting, but the lower class honestly didn’t give a fuck. Just like their attitude towards soul marks, which is why despite the ridicule Jason’s still remained uncovered.

Jason remained frozen for another split second before he relaxed despite the attention. The stance he was now in made him seem like a completely different person. While Jason could deal with attention, he’d still looked uncomfortable. This Jason seemed to almost thrive on the attention that he was receiving. His stance was powerful and sultry, Dick vaguely recognized it as one that the prostitutes Robin occasionally came in contact with took.

He stalked seductively up to the lead jock, taking care to swing his hips and emphasize his ass and legs. He rested an arm on the jock’s shoulder and leaned against him, practically plastering himself to his side. Ya seem ta forget tha’ I’m a Crime Alley boy, sugar!” he purred, getting into the flustered jock’s face. “I’ve been walkin’ tha streets longer than you’ve known what a prostitute was. But a handsome fella like ya, well I bet yar interested, huh baby boy?” Bet that girlfriend o’ yers don’t know how to take care of ya properly!” his lower Gotham accent was incredibly thick and the pea brained jock didn’t seem to know what to do.

Dick was honestly shocked. He never thought in a million years that Jason would drop his pride like this and act so… slutty. He’d always known the boy – well he avoided Jason like the plague so it really wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t know him all that well – to be angry and all alpha male. But this… this wasn’t anything he imagined any 14 year old – let alone when Jason was like 8 – acting like ever.

“AW, all speechless fo’ lil ol’ me?” he cooed as he ran a hand down the other teen’s chest and caressed his cheek. It was sweet for a subtle 5 seconds but then it turned vicious and that caress turned into a claw like slap. He stared pointedly at the jock’s crotch which was clearly bulging, in disgust before turning and stalking away. The crowd parted like the red sea and he stopped at the cafeteria doors. He looked over his shoulder and sneered.

“Seems like you’re the faggot to me.”

And then he was gone. That was the moment that Dick understood just how much words affected the young teen. Later that day he would find Jason in the training room that usually only Dick would use. There were different gymnastics equipment set ups all around the room, but what really caught Dick’s attention, was the lone pole in the center of the room that looked new. Well that and the boy who was currently hanging completely horizontal off the top of it, only holding on with his thighs.

At first Dick was worried that Jason would fall, but his face was the picture of calm and in control. He was wearing a skintight red tank top and black booty shorts. _He_ didn’t even own booty shorts because ‘it wasn’t proper’ so how did Jason manage to get some? They even said ‘juicy’ on the butt! But while that was surprising (and semi-horrifying) on its own, what was really shocking was the pair of glittery stiletto heels he was wearing.

If it had puzzled Dick how Jason was able to get the shorts, then he was reluctantly impressed with how he was able to get his hands on some stripper heels. Dick had stayed by the door while Jason ran through a routine (flipping off the pole was impressive in heels even to Dick, a trained acrobat) before he made his presence known. Jason had looked incredibly flustered when he’d realized Dick had seen him.

“Hey you have your trapeze, my talents just lie here,” he’d grumbled before sauntering out of the room with false confidence. Dick could tell that Jason had been very embarrassed but didn’t want to show it.

Dick never caught him dancing again.

 

* * *

 

So yeah. Jason’s soul words were both his strength and his weakness, but he never covered them up unless he was on patrol. They were rather recognizable after all. Unfortunately after that one day in the gym, Dick and Jason had only grown further apart. Sure Dick wasn’t the most enthusiastic about getting to know his replacement – seriously wtf Bruce? That was a kind of shitty move to just pick up some random street rat as soon as Dick decided to move on – that well.

But Jason avoided him at all costs. Now was one of the random – and very rare – moments when both Jason and Dick were in the cave together; without Bruce. Jason had just finished covering up his soul mark and was getting into his suit, meanwhile Dick was writing up his report after he’d finished _his_ patrol. Jason was scowling and grumbling throughout the entire evening, but he was finally finished and just about to leave, when for some reason, Dick decided to speak up.

Hey!” he called, “you’re a shitty replacement, but you better not die.” He didn’t know exactly why he chose to say those words. They sounded so final to him. Because Jason’s back was turned, Dick was unable to see his eyes widen. Now despite the fact that Jason never covered his soul mark unless it was absolutely necessary, he never let anyone get close enough to read the horrible chicken scratch. There should have been no way for Dick to know what his words were. And so Jason blurted out the first thing that came to him before fleeing the room.

“Fuck off Dickiebird, like you care.”

If Dick hadn’t been so focused on ignoring the younger teen and on writing his report, he may have noticed sooner. As it was, he only noticed that something was wrong when he showered the next morning. His tattoo was no longer black, and Jason’s last words were written in a horrible blood red around his wrist.

 

* * *

 

For days after he discovered the change in colour he stayed inside, terrified. With his job(s) who knows what could happen. He was anxiously waiting for Bruce and Jason to return to the manor, praying somehow that his mark had made a mistake (even though he _knew_ that it hadn’t).

Bruce returned 2 weeks later alone. He said that Jason had gone after the Joker on his own and he’d paid for it with his life. For a week and a half, he’d been tortured before being blow up, all the while believing Bruce would save him. What a horrible way to die. And Bruce had been saddened by the loss of his second partner; he was still able to push past it. So what if he became a little more violent with common criminals? They probably deserved it anyways.

But Dick had almost completely shut down. Jason was dead. His soul mate was dead. For months he nearly stopped talking altogether, only reacting – rather violently at that – when someone spoke of Jason. He no longer covered the red words on his wrist. Some jocks had made smug comments about Jason’s death; he’d broken 2 arms, 3 ribs, and a nose before a teacher had arrived. After that, Jason’s name was taboo.

Shackled indeed.

Dick had just begun getting better when Tim Drake happened. He’d been really upset then. Not only was the joker still alive (after the first time Dick pointed a gun at the Joker’s head, Bruce no longer let him go on patrol when the Joker was out; he even went as far as to knock him out and chain him to a bed with Alfred watching over him) but now Bruce was trying to replace Jason.

Dick wanted to hate Tim so much. But he just couldn’t. Sometimes it seemed Tim had known Jason better than Dick ever did – which was no surprise, Dick had been too busy being angry at Bruce to ever bother with his own replacement – and that made Tim a precious connection. Tim had pictures of Jason actually smiling. He could only remember seeing Jason honestly smile once, and he’d been the one to wreck it only 5 seconds later.

No. The person that he was angry with was Bruce. He was angry because Bruce was an emotionally stunted asshole. Because he let Jason take his name. Because he didn’t save Jason. Because he won’t let anyone kill the Joker no matter what. Because he replaced Jason 6 months later. It was a long time coming to resent Bruce.

But despite all of the hurt and the anger, Dick was beginning to move on with his life. But then he noticed something odd about his soul mark. There was still the ring of red words around his wrist, but now there was a secondary line of black words. This was completely unheard of.

No one ever had two soul marks or even two should mates. It wasn’t possible!

He did his best to ignore it, but the new black words written in the same scrawl as his previous mark haunted his dreams. The words “ _you’ll never learn from past mistakes will you Dick, you better kill him this time_ ” seemed to mock him and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. At first he thought that it was just karma messing with him because he’d been so horrible to his soul mate. But then he realized that fate was indeed much crueler.

He’d been on patrol for a good 3 hours when Tm had sent out a distress signal. He hadn’t done that in years so Dick was understandably panicked. He raced over to the alley in Crime Alley where the signal was coming from as fast as he could. He wasn’t about to lose another Robin. When he got there though, instead of seeing overwhelming numbers like he was accustomed to and expecting, he saw only 2 figures at the back of the alley.

One – which was clearly an unconscious Tim (although he looked oddly unharmed besides the small trickle of dried blood on his left temple….) – was on his knees and slumped against the other standing figure who had a gun pressed to the downed Robin’s head and another aimed at Dick. As Dick walked cautiously into the alley, he was able to make out the unknown man’s features. He was tall and muscular with spiky black hair save a single lock which was a snowy white. He had on a red domino mask that lime green eyes glinted behind and a familiar almost feral grin. T couldn’t be…

“Hello. Dickiebird – or should I say soulmate? It’s been a while.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes it is implied that Jason will be killed by the Joker a second time while Dick is Batman.


End file.
